The End of an Era
by NamikazeMinato99
Summary: After 200 years of peace, it seems that war may be on the horizon of the Shinobi World once again. Set 200 years after the Fourth World War, OC based fic.


Prologue

200 years had passed since the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War. The world had enjoyed a period of relative peace, especially when compared to the conflicts of the past. The Five Great Nations had not engaged in war with each other during that time, although there were periods when tension was at a high. Occasionally, the smaller nations tried to reignite the flames of war but had been unsuccessful in doing so.

All these things were going through the head of a man who was standing on top of the Hokage Mountain. He wore the standard outfit of the Leaf Jonin, with the Uzumaki Clan symbol emblazed on the back. It had always amazed him how the village hadn't changed the uniform for centuries and he often wondered whether it was pride or laziness that was the cause of this. Whichever it was, he was glad that it was the case. After all, it gave him a link to the past Shinobi that he had admired so much. However, his physical appearance made him stand out from the rest. His red hair, while not rare in the current day and age, was still a testament to his heritage. He wore it messily and had it just touching his Leaf headband. However, it was his plain white eyes that people noticed first. The penetrating stare that can only belong to an heir of the Hyuga clan had gotten him in trouble before now, but then again it had also brought him good fortune. Working in conjunction with his iconic hair colour and the Village with which he belonged to, those eyes let everyone know that he was a direct descendent of the most powerful Shinobi that has ever lived.

As he looked out at the mass of blinking lights that lit up the night, he realised that it wasn't just the uniform that was unaltered; the Village itself looked like it was stuck in a time warp. It looked exactly the same as it did when he was a child and he had never seen pictures of it looking any different, no matter how old it was. Of course, it was a tribute to the years it took to rebuild after the infamous "Invasion of Pain" and it would have felt disrespectful to alter such a magnificent design. However, despite all of the flashy monuments and impressive buildings that were scattered around the village, it was the Hokage Mountain that was his favourite part of the Village and he had been going there since he was a child. It was the only place that had been left untouched since the founding of the village, and the faces of all the former Hokage were engraved there. He couldn't help but walk up there and reflect on his life during times of stress and that night certainly counted as one of those.

"I knew that you'd be up here," a pink haired Kunoichi said, as she joined him on the Sixth Hokage's figure. "You've been the same way since we were kids."

He turned around and looked at his fiancé, as she made her way over to him. He had known Akemi Haruno since they were children and he had loved her for almost as long. Her sparkling green eyes had dazzled him since he had first locked eyes with her and always felt that those eyes had more powers than his. Friends often joked that her long pink hair clashed with his red, which was similar to their personalities. Whereas he was quite and reserved, Akemi was often the loudest person in the room and she was probably the most popular person in the village. Yet, they made it work and that was all that mattered to him.

"It's so calm up here" he replied softly, as she stood by his side and took his hand. "It gives me time to think about this crazy situation that I'm in."

"Time to panic more like" Akemi teased. "I still don't know what you are so worried about, you're undoubtedly the best person for the job. You're intelligent, strong and you were picked by the tenth himself."

"You know that's not it" he sighed, watching his breath turn to condensation as he did so. He hadn't even noticed how cold it had gotten over the hours he had been sitting there. "I'll be the first one since the Sixth you know. The first Uzumaki to take the title of Hokage since the legendary Naruto Uzumaki himself and I'll be the youngest since the Fourth. That's just so much to live up to."

Akemi chuckled at that point, before putting her head on his shoulder.

"Don't think about it," she whispered, while looking out over the village. "You don't need to live up to them, you just need to be yourself. All you need to worry about is your speech for tomorrow because I know how terrible you are at public speaking."

The last line brought a smile to his gloomy face and even made him forget his troubles for a second.

"Just think, this time tomorrow" she continued, "You'll be known as Akio Uzumaki: The Eleventh Hokage."

In a small village, far away from the Leaf Village, a young boy stood in the middle of an open field. He worse a loose fitting grey shirt with dark blue shorts that went just past his knee. His straight, black hair just about reached down to the bottom of his neck and complimented his dark eyes. He was staring at the ground, while clutching the katana he had strapped to his back. He largely ignored the two men that watched him from the edge of the forest but he was aware of their presence.

"This is the one?" a grey haired man croaked, while leaning on his walking stick.

"So they say," a much younger man replied. "Although, Takeru has been known to exaggerate about his students before. Given that this one is also his son, I'd say that we be cautious about what we hear."

"There's no need for that, Yutaka," a man with long, dark blue hair declared as he joined the two men. "He'll prove to you how strong he is."

"That didn't take too long Takeru" Yutaka replied, "Not holding back on him are you?"

"You wish" Takeru replied, as he lit a cigarette. "Some of the strongest Genin we have are waiting in the wings. Just watch what happens."

Takeru made a signal, which let everyone know to attack. A group of 8 Genin ran out from the forest, weapons drawn. Within a minute, they had all fallen to the ground completely defeated. The boy then put his katana back in its sheath and walked away from the scene.

"Well, look at that" Yutaka gasped, before a sly smile appeared on his face. "I guess you weren't lying to us then. So, that means the other thing you said?"

"That's true as well, don't tell me you didn't see it" Takeru replied mockingly, before throwing the butt of his cigarette on the ground. "So, there's no doubts then?"

"Not anymore" the old man muttered. "I never though I'd live to see it and I never though it would be a child. It was there though; I saw it for a second even with my eyesight. That boy's the one alright, the one we've been waiting for all these years."


End file.
